Winnipeg Jets Forward Continues Breakout Season

It's been another fantastic season for the Winnipeg Jets, and as the second half of the season continues the team is in a prime position to win another Central Division title. The team's success is headlined by the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck, and a fantastic season from top forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

Lost in the shuffle for the Jets is another forward having a breakout season. Forward Gabriel Vilardi is having an excellent campaign for Winnipeg, and if not for the MVP performances from some of his teammates, the 25-year-old forward would be the main story of the Jets' season.

This is Vilardi's second season with the Jets, after he was a piece of the trade that brought center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings originally drafted Vilardi in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft, and that's where he debuted in the NHL. With the Kings, he began to show signs of being a top-six forward and had his previous best campaign of 23 goals during the 2022-2023 season.

His first season with the Jets was another tantalizing sample of what he can bring. Injuries cut his season short, limiting him to just 47 games, but he managed 22 goals in that span.

But this year is the definitive breakout campaign for Vilardi. The young winger has found a home on the right wing of Scheifele's line, and he's scoring at a career-best pace in 2024-2025. Though the first 51 games, he has 22 goals already and 25 assists as well for 47 points.

This comes after he had arguably the best game of his career in the team's recent victory over the Calgary Flames. He led the team in scoring and was efficient and dominant each shift. He finished the game with two goals, two assists, and over 16 minutes of ice-time.

It's clear that Winnipeg is a perfect situation for Vilardi, and the Jets are seeing the results on a nightly basis. Vilardi has already established new career highs in assists and points with more than 20 games left to play in the regular season. He's found a home with the Jets, and the Jets have a top-line winger that is just beginning to get the league-wide recognition he deserves.

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